Stray Bullet
by Banshi
Summary: Songfic 2x5. Fluffy character emotional development rather than plot. Set after EW.


_Title:_ Stray Bullet

_Author:_ Banshi

_Disclaimer:_ Gundam Wing belongs to Bandai and Sunrise. The song "Stray Bullet" belongs to KMFDM. I'm putting them together on an unprofitable whim.

_Warning:_ Rater R for "off-camera" sex and lots of suggestion. Sorry guys, no specifics or descriptions. I just imply the details.

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I am your holy totem

I am your sick taboo

Radical and Radiant

I'm your nightmare coming true

Wufei watched Duo out of the corner of his eye, swallowing convulsively as he caught the wicked grin on the other man's face. The war was over, had been for a couple of years, and yet Duo hadn't changed in any significant way. There may have been no more Deathscythe, but Shinigami was alive and well.

It was often whispered in the halls of Preventer's HQ: "Thank God he's on our side!" Duo was just as much a thorn in the sides of the criminals as he had been to OZ, and he took great joy in his job. The grin had transformed from the manic bravado of the war to gleeful joy now. Wufei found it deeply disturbing to see, and strangely alluring.

He tried to hide it, as he was supposed to. He was a widower, he was a soldier, he was all that was good and Just, and he could _not_ be drawn to such dark joy as Duo exuded at every confrontation. Never mind that it had been months since he had seen anyone but Duo in his wildest dreams.

Wufei felt his neck heat, and quickly looked back at what he was supposed to be doing, ignoring the part of his brain that was suddenly supplying him with images from those dreams. He was _not_ going to submit to this stupid, temporary deviance of his hormones!

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I am your worst enemy

I am your dearest friend

Malignantly Malevolent

I am of Devine descent

Duo chuckled to himself as he passed by Wufei's desk, watching the other man studiously ignore him. Duo would have even believed that Wufei was succeeding if he hadn't caught the blush of the neck and the suddenly fiery eyes of two seconds ago. Besides, it's difficult to hide things from one such as he…God of Death indeed.

He had never considered this aspect of mortal life. He had played brother to Hilde and Heero, nemesis to more people than he could count, son to Father Maxwell and Sister Helen. Briefly he felt the sorrow cloud his mind, as it always did. At least he had been able to ease their transition, as he has done for so many nameless strangers over the millennia. 

He had been sent to the mortal realm as a "learning experience," to create a little more sympathy for the poor mortals. For a long time he had been under the impression that he was being punished as well. Maxwell Church wouldn't have been destroyed otherwise.

Silly Shinigami, he had forgotten that beings such as he only had limited control over human events. Destiny had given up a long time ago.

Now he had dear Wufei alternately running hot and cold towards him, comrade and brother-in-arms always, but also so reserved. He snickered under his breath, maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. Duo Maxwell had a new mission: Wufei would have to open up sometime anyway.

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I am your apocalypse

I am your belief unwrought

Monolithic Juggernaut

I'm the illegitimate Son of God

In the field, Wufei could feel free again, useful in a way that was lacking lately. Today he was in Istanbul with Maxwell, trying to settle down an age-old conflict that hadn't even taken a breather when the weapons had been confiscated. Maxwell seemed to be a bundle of that glee and tension lately, as if this was somehow different from all the other age-old conflicts that the Preventers had had to deal with in the past.

Did Maxwell have information that Wufei didn't? Should he be worried?

Maxwell shot a wicked grin over his shoulder at Wufei as they walked into the meeting room, and Wufei suddenly remembered that the peace talks weren't the only thing that he had to worry about. Continuing in this way would not be helpful on later missions. Wufei had given up on ever being able to concentrate with Maxwell in the room, and had felt himself blush on too many occasions. This … attraction … had become something that he could no longer ignore, but he was having difficulty thinking up a way to rid himself of it. 

They sat next to each other at a battered, beautiful antique table and listened to the grievances of as many generations of people as had been recorded on the Chang ancestry in the temple on L5. It was an impressive list of things that the other side had done that were evil, and both sides had such a list.

Just as Wufei was beginning to despair that they would ever be able to reach an agreement… someone had brought up the theft of a calf in the tenth century AD… Maxwell stood a up and interrupted the delegate. The beautiful man had _that_ smile on his face, and spoke with a "do or die" tone, though Wufei never actually caught what he said.

When Wufei's head cleared and he could understand people again, he was being thanked for instigating this miracle and watching as people left the room, talking like old friends.

The look he gave Maxwell must have been priceless, because the other man sprawled in his chair laughing like a lunatic. Wufei found it difficult to breath, but couldn't summon the will to leave the room, so he stood and watched Maxwell, and felt as if he were drowning and burning all at the same time.

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Stray Bullet

From the barrel of love

Stray Bullet 

From the Heavens Above

Stray Bullet

Ready or Not

I'm the illegitimate Son of God

Oh, he was delicious! Duo watched the completely baffled Wufei leave the meeting room with a profound red tint to his normally impassive face. This was just too much fun!

Not that this wasn't a serious occasion. Shinigami had interfered with mortal politics by using his powers of "persuasion." But really, how else was something like this going to be resolved? As Death, he had little influence before… with so many of these people actively seeking his embrace…

And now his thoughts were back to his delicious Wufei, who was trying so hard not to show what he was feeling. Poor, sweet mortal. Duo resolved to go about this carefully, slowly, and with the utmost delicacy. Wufei deserved no less, seeing as the other Deaths hadn't been particularly kind over the years. Sadistic pricks. Never mind that Duo knew that they hadn't really sought out Wufei for isolation, it was just part of the job, it happened sometimes.

Duo licked his lips, and steepled his fingers as he watched the door that had just closed behind that oh, so perfect ass. He turned his mind to more pleasant visions, more so because they hadn't happened yet, but he was determined that they would, with a totally willing warrior of justice. Meeting Wufei may have been an accident, but he'd be damned if he was going to waste the opportunity.

Indigo eyes glowed with promise as a smile curled on full lips. 

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I have come to rock your world

I have come to shake your faith

Anathematic Anarchist

I have come to take my place

Wufei noticed a certain…seductiveness that had made it's way into Duo's mannerisms. He was certain that it was a new addition. Now he noticed the way that Duo's touch lingered, when the other man had an excuse to touch him at all. And the glint to that smile promised things Wufei could barely even fathom. All silk sheets, roses and candle light, that new smile.

And Wufei noticed a disturbing turn to his own feverish dreams. No longer just the vague sensations of skin and hair and a pleasure he was sure could not be matched in the waking world. Now he had visions in full panoramic sensory exploration. White skin against black sheets, given an unearthly gleam by the light of tall black candles. The taste of sweat and musk, the spice of a kiss.

In his mind, Wufei cherished these visions, but refused the escape of them during the day, when anyone could see him blush. They were his own, though he had no intention of acting on them. The only real consequence of his new fascination was that he had given up the idea that it was just a passing phase, and had stopped all together his meager attempts at dating.

It wasn't fair to them, and it wasn't fair to him. It was no use sitting at dinner with some new intellectual, and being unable to do anything but compare them to Duo. In fact, it was becoming increasingly difficult to think of anything _but_ Duo, even at work, but especially at home. He had managed to do his job, but had declined the extra work and study that he usually put into his assignments. There were no longer back-ground checks being performed on everyone he came across.

Somehow, the congratulations that Wufei had finally loosened up seemed the wrong reaction to his new lack of focus. For the life of him, Wufei couldn't snap himself out of it. Not with Duo always standing close enough to smell, touching him all the time, and smiling at him as if he was the only person in the world.

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I am your apocalypse

I am your belief unwrought

Monolithic Juggernaut

I'm the illegitimate Son of God

Duo started noticing that his intended effects on Wufei weren't the only thing that was happening. Wufei was delicious, and a wonderful game to play until his mortal life ran it's course and he could get back to work.

_That_ thought got ditched after the first dream he had. Dreams were the last realm of Fate, and even there, visions were rare. He had been gifted with a vivid dream in which he had felt content and happy, listening to Wufei's heart-beat, of all things. No random dream was _that_ detailed. There was a fullness in Duo's heart that was unexpected, to say the least.

When he imagined Wufei's face now, there wasn't just delight in absorbing all the subtle expressions, but joy that he, Duo was the one causing them. He discovered a new possessiveness and protectiveness along with all the other emotions that were directed towards his stoic partner. The plan was going to have to alter slightly to take these new human feelings into account. Somehow he knew that Shinigami was never going to be the same, regardless of what he was supposed to be learning.

He felt like he had on the eve of battle, blood pumping in his veins, more energy than he knew what to do with. There was no enemy to conquer now, but that hardly mattered anymore. He felt the same, and understood that this new game with Wufei had refused to stay a game, and had become the most important fight of young Duo Maxwell's life. Maybe even of the ancient Shinigami's existence. Now wouldn't that be a kick! Death In Love. Ha!

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Stray Bullet

From the barrel of love

Stray Bullet

From the Heavens Above

Stray Bullet

Ready or Not

I'm the illegitimate Son of God

Wufei wasn't sure what was going on. There was yet another new gleam in Duo's eyes. Wufei didn't know which he should be more worried about, the new gleam, or that he was able to tell the gleams apart. The accidental touches became more deliberate, and in less innocent places. For one entire shift he was distracted by the bush of fingertips on the back of his thigh every time he was standing up. It got so bad that he spent the last few hours refusing to get out of his chair, until he had seen Duo safely gone for the night.

That night, in his sleep, he swore he could feel the weight of Duo's head on his chest, and the tickle of hair brushing against his arms. He knew that Duo's actions were causing the increase of detail and depth to the dreams, and he wasn't sure that he could take much more without going completely mad. Or worse, jumping Duo to find out if reality measured up. Waking up, tense with both emotional and physical frustration, Wufei decided that enough was enough.

It was time to fight fire with fire.

The next day, he started repaying Duo in kind. Brushing past the other man, deliberately tracing a finger up his arm. Smirking at him, in what Wufei hoped was a knowing and superior manner, at every possible opportunity. Each contact of skin and eyes sent shivers up Wufei's body, and he found himself enjoying the new play more than he'd thought he would.

At the end of the day, Wufei found Duo leaning casually against the hood of his car, waiting for him. He hesitated, then walked resolutely towards the object of his desire. Standing even with Duo, they looked at each other for a moment. 

Duo smirked in a way that managed to promise every pleasurable, carnal thing Wufei had ever tried not to think about, and few more than he thought existed.

Then Duo spoke, "I think that's enough foreplay, don't you?"

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I am your unconsciousness

I am unrestrained excess

Metamorphic Restlessness

I'm your unexpectedness

Duo brought everything that Shinigami had ever learned about the human nervous system to bear as he maneuvered Wufei home and into bed.

Cunning use of teeth, just enough to excite, not enough to hurt, and only above Wufei's collar, got them into the car. He felt like pouting when he had to relinquish his hold on Wufei's bottom lip so that the other man could drive.

But he could wait. Even with fire running through him, burning more than he had ever imagined it could. Even with his breath coming in gasps, as if he couldn't get enough air into his lungs. Even though he was feeling more with this frail human body than he ever had as a specter, immortal and sensual. He could wait… but only long enough to get to Wufei's apartment, and not nearly long enough to get to his own.

As soon as they were inside, Duo went after Wufei, clothes disappearing under his thief's fingers, lips locked, as if he were trying to devour Wufei's soul through the kiss. It wasn't enough. He was suddenly overrun with a hunger unlike anything he had ever known, in any incarnation.

He paused, gasping for breath again, as he reminded himself that this was Wufei. Dear mortal, fragile, distant Wufei. If Duo didn't get a handle on all these new feelings, he was going to hurt the other man, maybe even accidentally use powers he shouldn't. Hurting Wufei was unacceptable.

Duo took a deep breath and smiled at the shocked, slightly dazed expression on Wufei's face. He couldn't contain himself enough to go slowly, but he could manage slower. Especially since he hadn't even gotten Wufei's hair out of that tight tail at the back of his neck. He pulled at the band, freeing the black strands, twining them in his fingers in an effort to distract himself from the fact that he'd only gotten Wufei's pants half undone.

Slower. He would go slower. They would _both_ enjoy this.

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I am your apocalypse

I am your belief unwrought

Monolithic Juggernaut

I'm the illegitimate Son of God

Wufei was lost. He could barely remember his own name by the time he had gotten them both to his apartment. Then Duo had kissed him again. _This time with feeling._ Wufei could almost hear the other man's snicker as the thought went through his head.

Duo pulled away, leaving Wufei feeling as if an important part of himself had left with the taste of Duo's lips. They were both panting, drawing air desperately, trying to get themselves under control. Duo's fingers were running up and down his bare arms, sending shocks along his skin, but he thought he was getting his bearings. Then he felt a tug at the back of his neck and his hair spilled around his shoulders, tickling at his collarbone. When Duo started playing with the black strands, Wufei though he would melt.

He started shivering, becoming weak-kneed with wanting, and determined not to show it. Duo noticed anyway, and lowered them both slowly to the floor, even as his fingers finished pulling Wufei's pants off, before they were any more difficult to shed.

Feeling superheated against the cool flooring, Wufei reached up and pulled out Duo's own hair band. He figured, if Duo could do it without asking, so could he. Thick chestnut locks spilled over them, adding one more sensation to the many that were driving Wufei out of his mind. He didn't care.

It seemed between one blink and the next, Duo shed his own uniform, and they were laying together on the cool floor, shivering at the touch of skin to skin. For a moment, the part of Wufei's mind still working stuttered at the feeling of Duo's skin. So soft, like in his dreams, and he became afraid that it was another dream, and hesitated.

Duo looked at him with deep indigo eyes, something behind the look sending more shocks through Wufei, as if he were staring out into space, without a star or colony for his eyes to focus on. That gaze just continued forever. The feeling of callused hands sweeping over the skin at his hips snapped Wufei out of it. His dreams tended to ignore the calluses that were part of the mobile suit pilot's uniform.

"Real." Wufei whispered in awe, reaching up and burying his hands in the hair at the nape of Duo's neck. Duo gave a rich, throaty laugh before being silenced by Wufei's insistent mouth.

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Stray Bullet

From the barrel of love

Stray Bullet

From the Heavens Above

Stray Bullet

Ready or Not

I'm the illegitimate Son of God

Duo felt as if every atom of his being were on fire. Even the bits that technically were metaphysical felt like they were on fire. Duo clung to Wufei, waiting for his ears to stop ringing. They still lay on the floor, tangled together and sweatier than Duo though he had ever been.

Wufei was relaxing into the floorboards, his eyes closed and a strange smile on his face. Duo took a few deep breaths, and tried to pull his thoughts together. It worked, but only just. He concentrated on Wufei, and heard the thoughts running through the other man's head. It was all content fuzziness and a satisfaction that dreams hadn't even come close to reality. Duo didn't know the specifics, but wholeheartedly agreed.

He shifted, pulling himself together, and detached, only a little, from Wufei. He had been leaking spiritual awareness into the other man like crazy, but not caring beyond the heat that surrounded him, and the way Wufei moaned his name when his "powers" accidentally came into play. Now, he plunked his head in the middle of Wufei's chest, and listened to the heartbeat, slowly calming down into something steady and comforting.

Duo felt hands start smoothing out his hair, gently detangling as they went. It sent little shivers along his skin, and amazed him. He hadn't thought that Wufei could affect him as much as he affected Wufei. He shifted to look up at Wufei's face, and was rewarded with dark eyes slowly opening. The look in them was intoxicating, totally satisfied, and yet glittering with promise. Duo felt something in his chest expand and tighten at the same time, a fullness of feeling that he hadn't ever experienced before. It was like, yet not like, what he had felt for Father Maxwell and Sister Helen. 

Death in Love. Indeed.

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~Owari~


End file.
